Tafsir of Ar-Rum 30:17-19

Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans): Verses 17–19

When Allah the Almighty clarified His greatness in the beginning with His statement: {What Allah has created of the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth} (Ar-Rum: 8), and His greatness in the end—which is when the Hour is established, and people are divided into two groups, some decreed for Paradise (and Allah cares not), and others for the Fire (and Allah cares not)—He commanded His glorification from all shortcomings and praise in every state, saying: {So glorify Allah} (Ar-Rum: 17). This means: Glorify Allah with a thorough glorification.

In this verse, there are several issues:

The term Subhan is a fi'lān (a specific verbal noun form) that signifies the verbal noun Tasbīh (glorification). The word Subhan has been named after the act of Tasbīh and made a proper noun for it.

As for the meaning, some commentators said it means Salāh (prayer), indicating the five prescribed prayers. Others said it means Tanzīh (purification/exaltation), meaning: Exalt Him from attributes of imperfection and describe Him with attributes of perfection. This latter view is stronger and more appropriate because it encompasses the former.

The commanded glorification includes:

1. Purification by the heart: Firm belief.
2. Purification by the tongue: Good remembrance (Dhikr).
3. Purification by the limbs: Righteous deeds.

The first is the foundation, the second is the fruit of the first, and the third is the fruit of the second. When a person believes something, it manifests from their heart to their tongue. When they speak, the truth of their statement is revealed in their state and actions. The tongue is the interpreter of the heart, and the limbs are the proof of the tongue.

However, prayer (Salāh) is the best of the deeds of the limbs, and it encompasses remembrance by the tongue and intention by the heart, which is, in reality, Tanzīh. Therefore, when commanded to say Subhan Allah (Exalt Me), this absolute command is not restricted to one type of glorification but must encompass all forms of Tanzīh, thus including an order to pray.

Furthermore, this meaning aligns with what preceded it. Since Allah mentioned that the highest station and the fullest recompense belong to those who believe and do righteous deeds—as He said: {As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they will be in gardens, rejoicing} (Ar-Rum: 15)—He then said, Subhan Allah. This implies: Since you know that this station belongs to those who believe (which is purification of the heart and affirmation of oneness by the tongue) and do righteous deeds (which is the use of the limbs), and all of this is forms of glorification and praise, then perform that which leads to rejoicing in the gardens and presence at the watering troughs.

Certain times are specified for the command of glorification because the best deeds are the most continuous ones. The best of the angels are constantly engaged in glorification, as Allah says: {They glorify the night and the day, not ceasing} (Al-Anbiya: 20).

Since a human being, while in this world, cannot dedicate all their time to glorification due to the need for eating, drinking, acquiring necessities, clothing, and transport, Allah the Almighty indicated times where performing glorification makes it seem as if the servant has not ceased. These times are the beginning, the middle, and the end (of the day/night).

He commanded glorification at the beginning and middle of the night, but not at the end of the night, because sleep predominates then. Allah favored His servants with rest through sleep, as He said: {And of His signs is your sleep by night} (Ar-Rum: 23).

If a servant prays two units (rak'ahs) at the beginning of the day, two hours of their time are counted as glorification. If they pray four units at Dhuhr (midday), another four hours are counted, totaling six hours. If they pray four units late in the day (Asr), another four hours are counted, totaling ten hours. If they pray the seven rak'ahs of Maghrib and Isha, they gain seven more hours, totaling seventeen hours dedicated to glorification.

This leaves seven hours remaining in the night (between the middle and two-thirds of the night—two-thirds is 8.5 hours, half is 6 hours). If a person sleeps during this period, it is considered a sufficient amount of sleep, as indicated by: {Stand [in prayer] all night except a little, half of it or a little less than half, or a little more} (Al-Muzzammil: 2–4). Adding a little to half (six hours) makes seven hours. This period is allocated for sleep, and the sleeper is excused from accountability.

Allah will then say: "My servant spent all the time of his obligation in My glorification. O angels, what superiority do you claim by saying: {We exalt [Allah] with Your praise and sanctify You} (Al-Baqarah: 30) exclusively? Rather, you are like him." Their station is like his station in the highest ‘Illiyyīn.

Know that there is profound wisdom in the placement of prayers in their times, the number of rak'ahs, and the variation in their forms:

1. Regarding the number of rak'ahs: Since a person is awake for seventeen hours, seventeen rak'ahs are obligatory upon them.
2. According to Abu Hanifa’s school, which mandates the Witr prayer (three rak'ahs) as being closer to piety: We say this is derived from the idea that a person should minimize sleep, sleeping only one-third of the night, based on {Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it} (Al-Muzzammil: 20). This implies that standing for two-thirds of the night is highly recommended. Allah immediately follows this by saying: {Allah knows that you will not be able to do it, so He has relented toward you} (Al-Muzzammil: 20), using the word Tawbah (relenting). If this is the case, the person is awake for twenty hours, so twenty rak'ahs are commanded.
3. As for the Prophet (peace be upon him), whose habit was not to sleep at all (as he said, "My eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep"), the entire night was made like his day, so the Tahajjud (night prayer) was added for him. Allah alluded to this: {And during the night, prostrate to Him and exalt Him for a long night} (Al-Insan: 26), meaning the entire night is for glorification. Thus, he was glorifying Allah for twenty-four hours, becoming one of those who never cease even for a blink.
4. Regarding the times: As established, the beginning, end, and middle are considered. Glorification is legislated at the beginning and end of the day. For the night, the beginning and middle are considered, just as the beginning and middle of the day are. This is because Dhuhr is in the middle of the day, and Isha is in the middle of the night. The considered night is the duration a person is awake, which is about five hours. Thus, the time is set in the middle of this duration, which is the third part of the night.
5. Abu Hanifa’s view: Since he mandated Witr, the time for sleep for him was four hours, and the time for wakefulness at night was eight hours. He delayed the time of the last Isha until the fourth or fifth hour so that it falls in the middle of the considered night, just as Dhuhr is in the middle of the day.
6. The Prophet’s practice: Since his night was like his day and his sleep was like his wakefulness, he said: "If it were not difficult for my Ummah, I would command them to use the siwak (tooth-stick) and delay Isha until the middle of the night," so that the four rak'ahs would be in the middle of the night, just as the four rak'ahs are in the middle of the day.
7. Further detail: What appears to me is that the day is twelve temporal hours, and ten rak'ahs are performed during it. This leaves two rak'ahs to be performed at the beginning of the night, and one rak'ah from the night prayer, so that the beginning of the night starts with glorification, just as the beginning of the day did. Since two rak'ahs are performed at the beginning of the day's glorification, one rak'ah is performed at the beginning of the night's glorification, because the glorification of the day is long, like double the glorification of the night (since ten units are performed during the day, and five units are performed during the night).

We will discuss this from the perspective of transmission (Naql) and reason (Aql).

As for Transmission (Naql): The righteous, memorizing scholar, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn 'Ulwān, informed me in Aleppo, with a chain back to the Prophet (peace be upon him), that he said to some of his companions: "Are you incapable of bringing a thousand good deeds at bedtime?" They paused, so the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Saying Subhan Allah, wal-Hamdulillah, wa Allahu Akbar one hundred times will earn you a thousand good deeds." I also heard him say, may Allah have mercy on him, with a chain: "Whoever says after every obligatory prayer ten times Subhan Allah and ten times Allahu Akbar will enter Paradise."

As for Reason (Aql): Allah possesses attributes that are inherent (not resulting from His actions) and attributes established through His actions.

1. Inherent Attributes (Attributes of Perfection and Majesty): Their opposite is imperfection. When a responsible person realizes that Allah cannot be hidden from anything because He is All-Knowing, they have purified Him from ignorance and described Him with the opposite. When they know He is incapable of nothing because He is All-Powerful, they have purified Him from inability. When they know that nothing occurs in His dominion except what He wills because He wills every existent thing, they have described and purified Him. When it becomes clear that annihilation is impossible for Him because He is Necessarily Existent (Wajib al-Baqa'), they have purified Him. When it becomes apparent that non-existence cannot precede Him because He is Eternal (Qadim), they have purified Him. When it becomes clear that He cannot be an accident, a body, or confined to a place because He is Necessary and free from the possibilities of contingency, they have purified Him. However, no counter can enumerate His negative and relative attributes; if one person dedicated their entire life to them, they would not grasp their essence.

Therefore, if someone says, while realizing in their heart what they are saying—that they are purifying Him from all imperfections—this general utterance of Subhan Allah suffices for the detailed utterance. Yet, there is no doubt that whoever utters Subhan Allah for each specific attribute that is impossible for Allah has performed a deed that lifetimes cannot encompass.

In this case, Allah says: "This servant has performed My glorification throughout his life and existence. So I reward him by purifying him from all sins, adorning him with the robes of honor, and admitting him to the Abode of Permanence for an endless duration."

Just as the servant glorifies Allah at the beginning, end, and middle of the day, Allah purifies him at the beginning (his worldly life), at the end (his Hereafter), and in the middle (his state in the grave until the Day of Resurrection, which is his dwelling place).

2. Attributes of Action (Praise - Hamd): When a person looks at the creation of the heavens, they know it is a blessing and an honor, so they say Alhamdulillah. When they see the sun rising, they know it is a blessing and an honor, so they say Alhamdulillah. The same applies to the moon, every star, the earth, every plant, and every animal—they say Alhamdulillah. However, if a person were to praise Allah for every single blessing individually, their life would not suffice.

When they keep in mind the uncountable blessings, as Allah says: {And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them} (Ibrahim: 34), and say Alhamdulillah for that, this general praise suffices for the detailed praise. Allah then says: "My servant has spent his life immersed in My praise, and I have promised the grateful an increase. He has earned the best reward for his glorification, and he deserves an increase for his praise."

3. Greatness (Takbīr): When a person is engrossed in Allah's attributes, their intellect might lead them to contemplate Allah's essence after contemplating His favors. Whatever their mind grasps of His reality, they should say Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greater) than what they comprehended, because the perceived realities and the means of perception are endless. If one tried to say in detail, "Allah is greater than what I grasped from this aspect, and greater than what I grasped from that aspect," they would exhaust their life without encompassing all the ways one might conceive of Allah through perception. Therefore, when one says internally, Allahu Akbar, meaning "Greater than everything I conceive with the power of my intellect and the capacity of my perception," they are deeply engaged in ‘Irfān (gnosis). This is alluded to by the saying:

Thus, the utterance of an awakened person: {Subhan Allah, wal-Hamdulillah, wa Allahu Akbar} yields these benefits, provided the speech originates from the depth of the heart, not merely the tip of the tongue.

{And in the evening} is coordinated with Hīn (when), meaning: Glorify Him when you enter the evening (Tamsūn) and when you enter the morning (Tuṣbiḥūn), and in the evening (‘Ashiyyan).

{And to Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth} is an inserted clause between the coordinated terms. A subtle point here is that when Allah commanded the servants to glorify Him, He clarified that their glorification is for their own benefit, not for any benefit accruing to Allah. Therefore, they must praise Allah when they glorify Him. This is similar to His saying: {They think they have conferred a favor upon you by [their] submission. Say, "Do not confer favor upon me for your submission; rather, Allah confers favor upon you by guiding you to faith"} (Al-Hajj: 17).

The evening (Imṣā’) is mentioned before the morning (Iṣbāḥ) here, whereas it is mentioned after in {and exalt Him in the early morning and at the end of the day} (Al-Ahzab: 42).

This is because the beginning of this passage mentions the Resurrection and Reinstatement, from {Allah initiates creation; then He repeats it} (Ar-Rum: 11) up to {then those will be presented for punishment} (Ar-Rum: 16). The end of this verse also mentions Resurrection and Reinstatement with {And thus you will be brought forth}. Since evening (Imṣā’) represents the end of the day, the end is mentioned first to recall the Hereafter (the ultimate end).

The connection is that at the morning (Iṣbāḥ), a person emerges from a state resembling death (sleep) to a state resembling existence (wakefulness). At evening (‘Ashā’), a person emerges from wakefulness to sleep.

Commentators differed regarding {He brings the living out of the dead}: Most said it means bringing the chicken out of the egg, and the egg out of the chicken, similarly, the animal out of the semen drop, and the semen drop out of the animal. Some said it means the believer emerging from the disbeliever, and the disbeliever from the believer. It can also be interpreted as: {He brings the living out of the dead} meaning the awake person from the sleeping one, and the sleeping one from the awake one. This is used as an analogy: the resurrection of the dead and the death of the living is like waking the sleeper and putting the awakened to sleep.

Then Allah Almighty said: {And He brings the dead out of the living}.

There is a subtle meaning here: Upon physical death, the animalistic life ceases, but the rational soul departs and remains, as Allah says: {And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive} (Al 'Imran: 169). The living animal is moving and sentient, but the sleeper does not move or sense. Dead earth yields no growth.

However, the sleeper moves and senses upon waking, and dead earth grows vegetation after its death. Just as moving that which is still and causing growth in that which is static is easy for Allah, so too is resurrecting the dead easy for Him. This is what He alluded to by saying: {And thus you will be brought forth}.

{And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then suddenly you become human beings, spreading out.}